Prosecutors Drop All Charges Against ‘Empire’ Actor Jussie Smollett
Empire actor Jussie Smollett will not be prosecuted for disorderly conduct for allegedly faking a police report in relation to a reported hate crime, as charges against him have been officially dropped.
"Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him,” his attorneys, Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes, told OK! “Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement.”
“Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions,” the lawyers continued. “This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result.”
Jussie, 36, and his lawyers ran to court on Tuesday morning, March 26, in Chicago, where he was facing sixteen counts of lying to police in the alleged racial and homophobic attack. It’s been reported that the prosecution’s case “disintegrated.”
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It was initially reported that Jussie was attacked in the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 29 in Chicago. He claimed his attackers hurled racist and homophobic slurs before punching him, putting a noose around his neck and pouring what he said was bleach on him.
Jussie was arrested on Wednesday, February 20, for allegedly lying about the attack. Details at that point began to emerge about the two other men that were involved, brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo. Chicago police discovered evidence that Jussie allegedly paid them $3,500 to stage the alleged attack. Now it’s being reported that the money was actually for personal training. The brothers are not considered suspects in the case.
Jussie was also blamed for allegedly writing a threatening letter that was sent to FOX studios six days before the attack. Reports now suggest that the FBI did not conclude who wrote the letter.
